Guidance for one who calls to Allah, leads people in prayer, and fears showing off
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Question:
The first message in this episode is from a listener (M. J. Muhammad Abd al-Sayyid), an Egyptian residing in the Kingdom. Our brother has a matter about which he says: If a person memorizes knowledge from the religious sciences in order to fulfill his role in the village where he lives, and memorizes the Qur'an so that he can lead the youth in the night prayer of Ramadan, reciting one part (juz') per day, is there any aspect of minor shirk (associating partners with Allah) in this? Knowing that when I was in my village, I would deliver the sermon and give advice in the neighboring villages, and lead the youth in the night prayer using the mushaf (written copy of the Qur'an). I want to expand my knowledge and become independent of the mushaf in my recitation. I ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: It is known through the evidence of the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) that seeking knowledge and understanding the religion is among the best acts of drawing near to Allah, and among the best acts of obedience. Likewise, studying the Noble Qur'an, caring to increase its recitation, and striving to memorize it or whatever is easy of it, all of this is among the best acts of drawing near to Allah. If you do what is required of teaching the people of your village, guiding them, praying with them, and leading the youth and others from the village in prayer during Ramadan, all of this is righteous work for which you will be thanked and rewarded. It is not showing off (riya'), nor is it shirk (associating partners with Allah), if your intention is for the sake of Allah and the Hereafter, and you do not seek the showing off of people, their praise, or their commendation, but rather you intend by it to benefit them and to provision yourself with knowledge and understanding of the religion. It only becomes minor shirk if you do it for the sake of showing off to people and seeking their praise, as the noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 16:48, and he was asked about it, so he said: Allah says on the Day of Resurrection to those who show off: .
So showing off (riya') is doing an act for the sake of showing off to people so that they see you and praise you and commend you. Among this is seeking fame, such as reciting so that they praise you and say: He is good at recitation, and he recites well. Or increasing in the remembrance of Allah so that they praise you and say: He increases in dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Or enjoining good and forbidding evil with your speech so that you are praised and commended. This is showing off, and this is minor shirk.
So it is obligatory to be cautious of this, and to do your deeds for Allah alone, not for the sake of showing off to people, their praise, or their commendation. But teach your brothers and pray with them, hoping for the reward with Allah, and intend by it to benefit them, not for showing off or fame. And if you read from the mushaf, there is no harm. Your leading your brothers from the mushaf in Ramadan: the freed slave of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) used to lead her in prayer from the mushaf.
So the conclusion is that there is no harm in the one who prays reading the Qur'an from the mushaf in the night prayer of Ramadan if he does not have it memorized. And if he has it memorized and reads it from memory, that is better and more excellent, but there is no blame in reading from the mushaf when there is a need for it. This is the correct view. May Allah guide everyone to what He is pleased with. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good. I understood another aspect, Your Eminence the Shaykh, from our brother's message, which is that he wants to benefit from his leading people in prayer, such as his recitation of the Qur'an and his review of it, and also to gain the reward of leading people in prayer?
The Shaykh: All of that is good. His intending to benefit them, intending to pray with them and help them to good, and intending with this to benefit himself and strengthen his memorization of the Qur'an and increase his knowledge, all of this is good, and they are all good intentions in which there is no showing off.
The presenter: There is no showing off in them.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The presenter: And this is the intended meaning. May Allah reward you with good.
The first message in this episode is from a listener (M. J. Muhammad Abd al-Sayyid), an Egyptian residing in the Kingdom. Our brother has a matter about which he says: If a person memorizes knowledge from the religious sciences in order to fulfill his role in the village where he lives, and memorizes the Qur'an so that he can lead the youth in the night prayer of Ramadan, reciting one part (juz') per day, is there any aspect of minor shirk (associating partners with Allah) in this? Knowing that when I was in my village, I would deliver the sermon and give advice in the neighboring villages, and lead the youth in the night prayer using the mushaf (written copy of the Qur'an). I want to expand my knowledge and become independent of the mushaf in my recitation. I ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: It is known through the evidence of the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) that seeking knowledge and understanding the religion is among the best acts of drawing near to Allah, and among the best acts of obedience. Likewise, studying the Noble Qur'an, caring to increase its recitation, and striving to memorize it or whatever is easy of it, all of this is among the best acts of drawing near to Allah. If you do what is required of teaching the people of your village, guiding them, praying with them, and leading the youth and others from the village in prayer during Ramadan, all of this is righteous work for which you will be thanked and rewarded. It is not showing off (riya'), nor is it shirk (associating partners with Allah), if your intention is for the sake of Allah and the Hereafter, and you do not seek the showing off of people, their praise, or their commendation, but rather you intend by it to benefit them and to provision yourself with knowledge and understanding of the religion. It only becomes minor shirk if you do it for the sake of showing off to people and seeking their praise, as the noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The thing I fear most for you is the lesser shirk
أخوف ما أخاف عليكم الشرك الأصغرRiya' (showing off in worship).
الرياءGo to those for whom you used to show off in this world, and see whether you will find any reward with them.
اذهبوا إلى من كنتم تراءون في الدنيا فانظروا هل تجدون عندهم من جزاءSo showing off (riya') is doing an act for the sake of showing off to people so that they see you and praise you and commend you. Among this is seeking fame, such as reciting so that they praise you and say: He is good at recitation, and he recites well. Or increasing in the remembrance of Allah so that they praise you and say: He increases in dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Or enjoining good and forbidding evil with your speech so that you are praised and commended. This is showing off, and this is minor shirk.
So it is obligatory to be cautious of this, and to do your deeds for Allah alone, not for the sake of showing off to people, their praise, or their commendation. But teach your brothers and pray with them, hoping for the reward with Allah, and intend by it to benefit them, not for showing off or fame. And if you read from the mushaf, there is no harm. Your leading your brothers from the mushaf in Ramadan: the freed slave of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) used to lead her in prayer from the mushaf.
So the conclusion is that there is no harm in the one who prays reading the Qur'an from the mushaf in the night prayer of Ramadan if he does not have it memorized. And if he has it memorized and reads it from memory, that is better and more excellent, but there is no blame in reading from the mushaf when there is a need for it. This is the correct view. May Allah guide everyone to what He is pleased with. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good. I understood another aspect, Your Eminence the Shaykh, from our brother's message, which is that he wants to benefit from his leading people in prayer, such as his recitation of the Qur'an and his review of it, and also to gain the reward of leading people in prayer?
The Shaykh: All of that is good. His intending to benefit them, intending to pray with them and help them to good, and intending with this to benefit himself and strengthen his memorization of the Qur'an and increase his knowledge, all of this is good, and they are all good intentions in which there is no showing off.
The presenter: There is no showing off in them.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The presenter: And this is the intended meaning. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.